Vitamin D screening and testing
Status: Decision completed
Policy context
There are questions about the accuracy and usefulness of tests for Vitamin D levels, especially in healthy subjects. Assessing vitamin D levels may be useful to influence diagnostic or treatment decisions in some circumstances, though the usefulness of testing is uncertain in others.
Primary criteria ranking
- Safety = Low
- Efficacy = High
- Cost = High
- Documents
Assessment timeline
- Draft key questions published: April 27, 2012
- Public comment period: April 27 to May 14, 2012
- Draft report published: August 31, 2012
- Public comment period: August 31 to October 1, 2012
- Final report published: October 8, 2012
- HTCC public meeting: November 16, 2012
Background
Vitamin D is a nutrient critical to human health. Vitamin D levels are influenced by diet, exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet radiation) and some disease processes. Testing for vitamin D requires a blood draw and laboratory assessment of levels. Vitamin D status may be related to numerous risk factors, conditions, and diseases. Testing might be performed for a variety of concerns including vitamin D insufficiency, risk of poor bone health, presence of conditions resulting in malabsorption or altered metabolism, and suspected toxicity.